Celebrities Sign In On St. John Vianney School Auction

St. John Vianney Catholic School soon will host an auction that is sure to be an autograph hound’s delight.

The 10th annual St. John Vianney Western Jamboree Dinner and Auction on May 10 will feature signed items from sports figures, actors, authors and Spokane natives who have hit the big time.

Items up for auction include a football helmet signed by Emmett Smith, a baseball signed by Willie Mays, a book signed by Stephen King, and autographed photos of actor John Travolta, astronaut Sally Ride and auto racer Chad Little, a Spokane native.

All 220 students of St. John Vianney wrote to their favorite celebrities and asked them to donate an item for the auction. The response was tremendous, said publicity chairwoman Roberta Hartley. “We have over 60 signed items.”

Fifth grader P.J. Ross wrote to author William Wegman, whose red dogs often appear as letters in Sesame Street. Wegman sent an autographed book as well as a personal postcard to Ross. “I thought it was neat that he sent me something,” Ross said. Hartley said Ross has been trying to get his mother to have the postcard framed.

The auction is an important fundraiser for the school, Hartley said, and the proceeds are part of the school budget. “It’s not an excess, it’s something we rely on,” said Hartley.

Viewing of the items up for sale begins at 5 p.m. Dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. and the bidding will begin at 8 p.m. Tickets to the dinner and oral auction are $25 per person. The deadline for reservations is May 5. Tickets can be purchased by calling the school office at 926-7987.

Creationism vs. evolution

A former biologist who now travels the country lecturing on creationism is coming to Valley Fourth Memorial Church, 2303 S. Bowdish Road, on Sunday.

Roger Oakland will speak about the creation vs. evolution controversy and its association with the New Age movement, parapsychology, and UFOs. Oakland will speak at the 9 and 10:30 a.m. services at the church.

Gold Star for volunteer service

Members of the Otis Orchards branch of the Aid Association for Lutherans (AAL) have recently been awarded a Gold Star rating in recognition of exemplary volunteer service to the community in 1996.

Among the events the branch hosted to qualify for the rating was a spaghetti dinner last June to help pay the medical bills of a local family. The branch also hosted a viewing of the film “Together Against Crime” in September that gave tips on how to protect our homes.

The AAL is a fraternal benefit society based in Wisconsin.

‘Walk for Nicholas’

Redeemer Lutheran Church, 3606 S. Schafer Road, will host a “Walk for Nicholas” today from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Funds raised from the walk will be used to cover the medical bills of 5-year-old Nicholas Hawlay, who recently underwent surgery for heart defects at the UCLA Medical Center.

The walk will be held in the church parking lot. All are invited to come and walk or bring a donation.

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